EA1/YO8SOY: QSO with YO8OW

On this video Anca (YO8SOY) makes a QSO with the trainer of her Radioclub, Adrian Zait (YO8OW) on the 15m band.

She was very happy to have the opportunity to make a QSO with the trainer of the Radioclub Suceava, in her home town.

Propagation towards South America was not as good as before, but the conditions between Romania and Spain were excellent. The fact that Adi Zait (YO8OW) was running a kilowatt into a yagi beam also helped...

On this video I am celebrating the successful QSOs with our third operator Adi.

As you can see, he was also very happy for the QSOs...

Romania on 15m (YO8OW and YO8SXX)

This is a video of a QSO on the 15m band with Romanian station YO8OW from the city of Suceava.

Adi is a friend and it was great to be able to hear him so well in A Coruña. You can also hear another fellow ham from Suceava named Radu (YO8SXX).

On this video I went home and tuned him on my FT-990 with a Butternut HF6V antenna. It was only a couple of minutes from the car park to the home shack.

Great signal on the FT-990 as well.

Ukraine (UT7UV)

This is a video of a QSo with Ukraine on the 15m band with my FT-897 manpack in my summer QTH.

I have made several QSOs with this Ukranian station in the past, always with good reports.

Croatia (9A3WL)

This is a video of a very nice QSO on the 17m band with Croatian station 9A3WL (operator: Milan).

I made this QSO on my summer QTH with 20W and a short whip antenna, whereas he had 300W and a yagi beam.

Another English QSO from Alto do Anxelio

This another QSO from Alto do Anxelio.

After that we wanted to try some digital modes but we discovered tha my manpacks CAT port was already occupied by the antenna tuner, so we had to leave it for another occasion.

Breamo (EA1/CR-035)

The other day I went to Breamo (SOTA reference EA1/CR-035) to test the Yaesu manpack radio. Breamo is near my summer QTH so it was a quick trip that did not require much preparation.
On the first picture I was using the radio on VHF, and I made QSOs with Ernesto (EA1LQ) and Julio (EA1UP). I also tried the radio pedestrian mobile around the Breamo monastery.
As you can see, my second operator was preparing the HF whip antenna, a 2.4m whip of the Clansman series.
Later I also tried a 4m whip to see if I could get better results with Ernersto, but the truth is that things did not improve much. This summit is not very high, and there are lots of trees all around.

Cyprus (5B4AIX)

This is a video of a QSO with Cypriot station 5B4AIX on the 15m band.

I was using a 2.4m whip of British military origin.

Alto do Anxelio (EA1/CR-020): G0VOF

This is a video of a QSO with English station G0VOF, when I was activation Alto do Anxelio on the 15m band.

This summit is worth two points for the SOTA awards.

Sicily (IT9PQO)

This is a QSO with a Sicilian station IT9PQO (Tony) on the 17m band from my summer QTH.

I was using the 2.4m whip with my Yaesu manpack's internal antenna tuner.

Monte do Anxelio (EA1/CR-020): G3RMD

Yesterday I went with José Luis (EA1HNP) to activate Monte do Anxelio (SOTA ref. EA1/CR-020). This is a video of a QSO on the 15m band with English station G3RMD (operator: Frank).

You can also hear EA5HJO calling. After seeing the videos I noticed that he called several times. I hope I can make the QSO with him next time.

Moldova (ER3ZZ)

This is a video of a difficult QSO with the Republic of Moldova on 17m SSB. At a given point I decided to replace the 2.4m whip with a longer 4m whip to see if I could get though.

The effort paid off because this is not an easy DXCC entity to work, and despite the fact that I have worked Moldovan stations in the past, I still don't have that country confirmed for my eDX award.

Greece (SV2MAP)

Yesterday I was on he countryside and I made several contacts with my Yaesu manpack. This one is with Greek station SV2MAP, from Ptolemaida, on the 17m band.

Ptolemaida (Greek: Πτολεμαΐδα, Ptolemaïda, Katharevousa: Πτολεμαΐς, Ptolemaïs) is a city in Northern Greece. It lies in the prefecture of Kozani, which is part of the periphery of West Macedonia. It is known for its coal (lignite) mines and its power stations.
According to archaeologists, the Ptolemaida region has been occupied since 6000 BCE. Prehistoric jewelry found in Ptolemaida. Archaeologists, in November 2005, discovered the remains of two farming villages dating back to the Neolithic period. A press report notes that such farming villages were trading centres and had a "developed knowledge of metalworking".
A golden necklace dating to roughly 4500 BCE was discovered on February 16, 2006. Associated Press reporter Costas Kantouris describes the item as a "flat, roughly ring-shaped [which] probably had religious significance and would have been worn on a necklace by a prominent member of society."
Lately in the lake Zazari near Ptolemaida there were found 16 houses that belong in the Neolithic era due to archaaeologists. These houses were in the lake and were exposed because of the decreased water level of the lake. That particular small settlement gives information about the society and the people in the Neolithic era.

Striving for the fourth QSO from Monte de Oural

The SOTA rules require a minimum of four QSOs for the activation of any given summit. On this video you can see the drama of having only three and having to leave. On the video you can also hear Indian station VU2PAI.

But after the timely intervention of Ernesto (EA1LQ) we managed to save the day with a couple of QSOs on 20m with nearby colleagues. This is me in QSO with EA1PX and EA1UP.

And this is José Luis (EA1HNP) working the same stations with the assistance of his second operator Luca.

With our four QSOs on the log we were able to return home with another valid activation, and a lot of excuses to give for being late...

Portugal on 20m with the FT-897 manpack

This is another video of a QSO with Portugal on the 20m band using a 4m whip.

I still don't have Portugal validly confirmed on eQSL so these are potential new countries for my eDX diploma.

EA1FAU: The SOTA-chaser

This is a vide of a QSO with Marcos (EA1FAU), our third station worked from Monte de Oural (SOTA ref. EA1/CR-018), on 14342.5 SSB, the HFpack frequency on the 20m band.

Marcos has been there to make the QSO on every expedition so I think he will be soon on the SOTA Chaser Roll of Honour.

Portugal (CR6M) on 20m

This is a video of a quick QSO with Portuguese special event station CR6M on the 20m band.

I made this QSO last Thursday in preparation for the activation of Monte de Oural. As you can see on the video, I am not using the 2.4m whip this time but a longer 4m whip.

Second QSO from Oural: EA1GIB on 17m

The second QSO we made from Monte de Oural was with EA1GIB, Manuel, from Vilagarcía de Arousa. This was a real surprise because he is in another province and we had not arranged a sked with him. In fact, I was the first time we met him.

We were already using the 4m whip from the East German army, which should be a great improvement as comparad to the shorter whip.

Monte de Oural: EA1/CR-018

Yesterday I went to activate Monte de Oural (SOTA reference EA1/CR-018) with José Luis EA1HNP, and this is the video of the first QSO from up there:

It was a 2m FM QSO with Ernesto (EA1LQ), who is always there to help with the activations. We had already contacted him on our way to the summit, so he was standing by on our usual 2m frequency.

Germany on 17m (DL5XAT)

This is a video of a QSO on the 17m band using my FT-897 manpack with a 2.4m whip and the FC-40 antenna tuner.

That day I was also using several solar panels making a total of 37W. When I started operating the batteries were completely empty and at the end of the day they were full. I even disconnected the panels at some point because I was afraid they would overcharge the beteries.

My fourth QSO from Pendella (France - F/G4CAF)

The activation of a summit for the SOTA programme requires the completion of at leat four QSOs. Sometimes this is not possible and the expeditioners have to go down and leave the activation for a later date.
I my case the weather was becoming very ugly, as you will see on the video, so I decided to move to the HF bands in order to get my desired fourth QSO, and this is what I found:

A nice QSO with Dave, who was operating as F/G4CAF from Cerizay, on the Atlantic coast of France. Thank you dave for the cherished fourth.
Cerizay is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.
The name Cerizay probably originated during the closing centuries of the Roman occupation. During the Middle Ages the old town centre was situated beside a feudal castle. The last two towers of the castle, along with its 12th century chapel, were destroyed when the present (rather flamboyant) church was constructed in 1890.
The automotive coachbuilder firm Heuliez has its main production plant on the outskirts of the town. They have been involved in the production of various niche models for French car manufacturers. The firm currently construct the roof module for the Peugeot 206CC and build the Vauxhall/Opel Tigra Twin Top.

Some eQSLs for my collection

Today I made several QSOs on the 6m band and I have already received this beautiful card from Belgian station ON7KC.
I also made QSOs on that band with Denmark (5P1DX), Germany (DL1JEK) and Scotland (MM0TFU), and some others on 10m (Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands), 12m (France) and 15m (Italy), using a 4m whip with the Yaesu FC-40 antenna tuner.
I also received another nice eQSL from Brazilian station PY2VM (operator: Carlos) for a QSO on the 17m band.
I also made a QSO this evening on the 15m band with a German amateur who was on holiday in Goiania, Brazil. I was on the car park of a German supermarket (Lidl) where I bought some NiMH rechargeable batteries.

More SOTA contacts in 2m FM

In this video you can see our second QSO from Pendella, on 2m FM, with EA1TF (Juan).

Ernesto (EA1LQ) was joking about the fact that his summit (Cova da Serpe, EA1/LU-046) was worth 4 points, double as ours, because it was above 800m of height (ours was little over 730).
On this other video I make contact with José Luis (EA1HNP), who was activating Breamo (EA1/CR-035).

He asked us about where we would have lunch and how long we would stay...

My first SOTA activation (Pendella)

This is a video of my first Summits On The Air activetion, from the summit of Pendella (EA1/CR-002).

On the video you can also see EA1AQ. We both made QSOs with Ernesto (EA1LQ) who was activating SOTA reference EA1/LU-046.